Sales-tax debate in Arizona likely to intensify

Early voting set to get under way this week

The state sales-tax campaign, fairly quiet to date, should amp up this week as early voting begins.

Monday is the registration deadline for anyone who wants to vote in the May 18 special election.

Proposition 100 seeks a temporary 1-cent-per-dollar increase in the state sales tax, to 6.6 cents. With local taxes included, the overall tab in many cities would top 9 cents on the dollar.

The tax is expected to raise about $1 billion a year; two thirds of the money would be dedicated to education, while the remaining third would be split between public safety and health and human services. The tax would expire in May 2013.

The Yes on 100 campaign is backed heavily by education interests, with financial support from health-care companies, firefighters and some of Arizona's larger businesses or business groups, such as APS and the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Opponents, organized as the Ax the Tax Arizona committee, note the 1-cent-per-dollar increase is an 18 percent hike in the sale tax. They include business groups, such as the National Federation of Independent Business and the Free Enterprise Club, as well as low-tax groups.

Elections officials say the May 18 sales-tax election puts them in uncharted waters: There hasn't been a statewide special election since 1991, when there was a runoff for governor, and that was nearly two decades ago when the population was smaller.

Maricopa County Recorder Helen Purcell, who oversees elections, estimates turnout at 30 percent. But she admits it's a shot in the dark.

"It's my best guess," she said.

Karen Osborne, the county's elections director, projects a more robust 60 percent, although she defers to her boss, Purcell. Osborne figures the single-question nature of the ballot and general voter agitation might spur more participation.

Proposition 100 seeks a temporary 1-cent-per-dollar increase in the state sales tax, to 6.6 cents.

The folks running the Yes on 100 campaign estimate a 40 percent turnout, saying they are relying heavily on the mail-in vote and are targeting their message to education supporters.

There are several key dates before the election:

Monday

This is the deadline to register to vote in the special election. It's a non-partisan election, so it doesn't matter if you're a Republican, Democrat, Green, Libertarian or independent. But you have to be registered by Monday.

Early ballots, also known as mail-in ballots, are mailed out to anyone who requests one. These ballots can be voted on in the privacy of your home and mailed back.

In Maricopa County, about 700,000 people are on the permanent early-voter list and will get ballots automatically.

To be added to the list, or to request a ballot for the sales-tax election, contact the recorder's office in your county. In Maricopa County, that can be done by visiting recorder.maricopa.gov or by calling 602-506-1511.

Maricopa County officials estimate that 80 percent of the ballots that will be cast will come in by mail.

May 7

The last day to ask for an early ballot. Do it by 5 p.m. See above for instructions.

May 13

Deadline for county recorders to get your early ballot. Elections officials advise mailing it in early - there's no need to wait until May 13. If you bump up against the deadline, you can walk the ballot into your polling place on election day.

May 18

Election day. Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Find your polling place on the publicity pamphlet that should have arrived at your home. It's on the back page.

May 21

This is the date by which Purcell says all of the votes should be counted. Early ballots sometimes turn into late results when they are walked in to the polls, because they require hand processing that is not available on election day. Voters who were turned away at the polls for lack of identification have until this date to get into their local county recorder's office, with ID in hand, to vote.